We have been asked this question by a number of newspapers around the world wishing to celebrate their local hero, who will be inducted this coming Saturday, February 22. There is still time to reserve a seat at the gala dinner in Salt Lake City and join key personnel from our sponsors and inductees, including Rio Tinto, Boart Longyear, Redpath Mining, Sandvik, FL Smidth, MacLean Engineering, Joy Global, Mine Safety Appliances and many more. The www.im-halloffame.com has been established first and foremost because, although there are various mining halls of fame around the world, there is not one specifically dedicated to the technology innovators of our industry. There is now!
In my life alone (John Chadwick) in the industry (I am a mining engineer by qualification) there have been many very important innovations/technology developments that have massively changed the industry in terms of productivity and safety. Before that too there were many decades of such breakthrough developments. Many of those remain unrecognised and we felt it was time to start redressing the situation. It will take many years to catch up and recognise the innovators of this great industry that is so crucial to the modern world.
It is also the first truly International hall of fame in the industry – the first, 2013, inductions include Americans, Australians, South Africans, Finns, Swedes and Canadians. As yet there are no British (my home country), German, or Polish inductees, for example, but there are many of them deserving of recognition. I urge you to nominate for this year, see the website for details. Be aware that a well presented nomination – who, the technology, what it achieved, etc. is important in standing a chance of selection.
The International Technology Mining Hall of Fame will become better known each year and we will be able to revel in greater numbers of nominations each year. I would love to see all the people that I think worthy of recognition inducted before I go, but it is not up to me, it is up to the international panel of judges I have assembled around the world. It is up to the industry at large to nominate and those judges to decide.
